Although less well known, Iris recognition is a biometric technique as effective as fingerprints. The launch of the IAD (Iris At a Distance) solution, which can identify a person at a range of more than one meter in less than a second, gives Morpho a great start in this market.
Although less well known, Iris recognition is a biometric technique as effective as fingerprints. The launch of the IAD (Iris At a Distance) solution, which can identify a person at a range of more than one meter in less than a second, gives Morpho a great start in this market.
A fully developed biometric
Morpho has been working on iris recognition for a number of years, and has contributed to creating the 2 iris databases: those used by the Abu Dhabi Police and the Aadhaar project in India. The 2 most recent NIST evaluations awarded number one ranking to the Morpho iris identification algorithm. This expertise has encouraged Morpho to develop its IAD solution. The product was launched in October 2013 at the Gitex tradeshow in Dubai.
Technological prowess
Previously, 2 types of sensor shared the market. ‘Twin' or proximity sensors that must be within 60 cm of the person scanned, and cameras that operate at a minimum distance of 2 meters. Morpho's IAD scans both irises and the face at a distance of between 0.8 and 1.2 meters in barely 1 second, compared with the 4-7 seconds required by the most powerful solutions prior to its launch. The IAD system has dedicated cameras for facial image acquisition. The aim of this arrangement is to record a real-time image of a person and his/her position in space. These data allow the iris image acquisition system to calculate the ideal moment to capture the image, enabling the entire operation to be completed within a second. As an upscale scanning system, IAD is intended primarily for very high traffic areas. It is very simple and convenient to use, because the only thing the user needs to do is to look at the sensor screen for a second. The addition of facial recognition, for which very large databases already exist, is an additional benefit.
Excellent sales prospects
Designed primarily for the border control market, IAD could easily be integrated into an e-gate or installed in a security checkpoint desk. The system could also be deployed in airports to limit access to particular zones by passenger profile (final destination or transfer). Lastly, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals are interested in this solution to simplify access control procedures for staff working in gloves and masks.
“IAD is designed to detect two types of fraud: the use of a contact lens to copy the iris pattern of another person, and the use of a product to dilate the pupil of the iris, making identification impossible.” Laurent Lambert, product manager, Morpho.
“Many of the Gulf States already have an iris biometrics database, which is the essential precondition for using the IAD solution to maximum advantage. This exceptionally precise technology is highly thought of here.” Georges Moukarzel, Business Development Director middle east at Morpho